[1660–70; un-1 + graceful]This word is first recorded in the period 1660–70. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: aspirate, ballet, cantilever, interleave, sketchun- is a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative oropposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns (unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able), and less freely used in certain other nouns (unrest; unemployment)
Examples of 'ungraceful' in a sentence
ungraceful
If this is almost the series's swansong, it's a rather ungraceful one.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Synonyms of 'ungraceful'
clumsy, laboured, heavy, ugly
More Synonyms of ungraceful
(adjective)
Synonyms
clumsy
I'd never seen a clumsier, less coordinated boxer.
laboured
The prose of his official communications was so laboured, pompous and verbose.
heavy
ugly
stiff
awkward
She made an awkward gesture with her hands.
lumbering
He overtook a lumbering lorry.
unnatural
She gave him a bright, determined smile which seemed unnatural.
unwieldy
They came panting up to his door with their unwieldy baggage.
ponderous
He strolled about with a ponderous, heavy gait.
ungainly
Paul swam in his ungainly way to the side of the pool.
gawky
a gawky lad with spots
inelegant
The grand piano has been replaced with a small, inelegant model.
She was conscious of how inelegant she looked.
uncoordinated
They were unsteady on their feet and rather uncoordinated.
elephantine
His legs were elephantine.
all thumbs
Can you open this? I'm all thumbs.
unco (Australian, slang)
Opposites
easy
,
pleasing
,
natural
,
flowing
,
smooth
,
elegant
,
aesthetic
,
graceful
,
coordinated
,
agile
Additional synonyms
in the sense of all thumbs
Definition
very clumsy
Can you open this? I'm all thumbs.
Synonyms
clumsy,
inept,
cack-handed (informal),
maladroit,
butterfingered (informal),
ham-fisted (informal),
unco (Australian, slang)
in the sense of awkward
Definition
clumsy or ungainly
She made an awkward gesture with her hands.
Synonyms
clumsy,
stiff,
rude,
blundering,
coarse,
bungling,
lumbering,
inept,
unskilled,
bumbling,
unwieldy,
ponderous,
ungainly,
gauche,
gawky,
uncouth,
unrefined,
artless,
inelegant,
uncoordinated,
graceless,
cack-handed (informal),
unpolished,
clownish,
oafish,
inexpert,
maladroit,
all thumbs,
ungraceful,
skill-less,
unskilful,
butterfingered (informal),
unhandy,
ham-fisted or ham-handed (informal),
unco (Australian, slang)
in the sense of elephantine
Definition
like an elephant, esp. in being huge, clumsy, or ponderous
His legs were elephantine.
Synonyms
massive,
great,
huge,
heavy,
giant,
enormous,
immense,
lumbering,
gigantic,
monstrous,
mammoth,
bulky,
colossal,
weighty,
hulking,
laborious,
ponderous,
gargantuan,
humongous or humungous (informal)
Nearby words of
ungraceful
ungainly
ungodly
ungovernable
ungraceful
ungracious
ungrateful
unguarded
Synonyms of 'ungraceful'
ungraceful
Explore 'ungraceful' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of gawky
Definition
clumsy and awkward
a gawky lad with spots
Synonyms
awkward,
clumsy,
lumbering,
ungainly,
gauche,
uncouth,
loutish,
graceless,
clownish,
oafish,
maladroit,
lumpish,
ungraceful,
unco (Australian, slang)
in the sense of inelegant
Definition
lacking elegance or refinement
The grand piano has been replaced with a small, inelegant model.She was conscious of how inelegant she looked.
Synonyms
clumsy,
awkward,
ungainly,
rough,
crude,
coarse,
crass,
gauche,
uncouth,
unrefined,
clunky (informal),
graceless,
uncultivated,
unpolished,
indelicate,
ungraceful
in the sense of laboured
The prose of his official communications was so laboured, pompous and verbose.
Synonyms
contrived,
studied,
affected,
awkward,
unnatural,
overdone,
ponderous,
overwrought
in the sense of lumbering
He overtook a lumbering lorry.
Synonyms
awkward,
heavy,
blundering,
bumbling,
hulking,
unwieldy,
ponderous,
ungainly,
elephantine,
heavy-footed,
lubberly
in the sense of ponderous
Definition
(of movement) slow and clumsy
He strolled about with a ponderous, heavy gait.
Synonyms
clumsy,
awkward,
lumbering,
laborious,
graceless,
elephantine,
heavy-footed,
unco (Australian, slang)
in the sense of stiff
Synonyms
awkward,
crude,
clumsy,
jerky (informal),
ungainly,
inelegant,
graceless,
ungraceful
in the sense of uncoordinated
Definition
(of a person) not able to control his or her movements properly
They were unsteady on their feet and rather uncoordinated.
Synonyms
clumsy,
awkward,
ungainly,
bungling,
lumbering,
inept,
bumbling,
graceless,
heavy-footed,
maladroit,
clodhopping (informal),
all thumbs,
ungraceful,
butterfingered (informal),
unco (Australian, slang)
in the sense of ungainly
Definition
lacking grace when moving
Paul swam in his ungainly way to the side of the pool.
Synonyms
awkward,
clumsy,
inelegant,
lumbering,
slouching,
gawky,
uncouth,
gangling,
loutish,
uncoordinated,
ungraceful,
lubberly (old-fashioned, rare),
unco (Australian, slang)
in the sense of unnatural
Definition
affected or forced
She gave him a bright, determined smile which seemed unnatural.
Synonyms
false,
forced,
artificial,
studied,
laboured,
affected,
assumed,
mannered,
strained,
stiff,
theatrical,
contrived,
self-conscious,
feigned,
stilted,
insincere,
factitious,
stagy,
phoney or phony (informal)
in the sense of unwieldy
Definition
too heavy, large, or awkward to be easily handled
They came panting up to his door with their unwieldy baggage.